The Edinburgh and Lothians Miniature Railway Club is set to welcome two local teenagers to its annual exhibition, taking place at George Watson’s College on 6 and 7 September.
The club has been working hard in recent years to widen its appeal and introduce more people to the world of model railways.
Among the exhibitors is 16-year-old Luca Jaconelli, who will be showcasing his impressive micro-layout, inspired by a fictional train maintenance depot in the West of Scotland. This is Luca’s second layout, following his first creation based on Thomas the Tank Engine. He shared how much he enjoyed the process and how much he has learned through building it.
Kirkurd Junction is primarily an industrial layout with power station cooling towers featuring prominently. The creator is Benji Wakelin-Grant (also aged 16) who is still adding to his layout and new features are expected at the show.
The club are keen to welcome new and experienced modellers of all ages and, in addition to their exhibition, they run regular open evenings free of charge at their clubroom in Tollcross, the next of which will be on Wednesday 10th September.
Club Chair Richard Coyle said,
“we are determined to bring the excitement of Scotland’s railway heritage to a wider audience and it’s an absolute delight to welcome Benji and Luca to publicly display their amazing model layouts next weekend. Since taking over as chairman I have been determined to rejuvenate the club. We launched what has quickly become the premier railway show in the East of Scotland last year and this year the club moved to a much more welcoming premises in central Edinburgh where we meet twice a week.”
Exhibition Manager Fraser Graham said
“After a very successful show last year, we are glad to have such a wide range of exhibitors and traders coming this year, including these very exciting young modellers who are showing off their own layouts”
Edinburgh Model Railway Exhibition 2025 is in George Watson’s College on Colinton Road in Edinburgh on Saturday 6th September 10am to 5pm and Sunday 7th September 10am to 4pm. There will be 16 layouts on display, with the opportunity to drive a train, engage with enthusiasts, learn about the hobby and acquire everything you need to build your own layout. Further details of the exhibition and other events are available through the club’s web site elmrc.org.uk.
